Champions League Matchday 2: Marseille vs Ajax facts

Marseille and Ajax are both looking to bounce back from opening defeats when they meet at Stade Vélodrome on UEFA Champions League Matchday 2.

Last match

Each side has three wins from the teams' eight previous fixtures (D2), although Ajax are without a victory in five (D2 L3) since triumphing in the first three.

The teams' last contests came in the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage when a 3-3 draw in Amsterdam on Matchday 1 was followed by a 4-3 home win for Marseille on Matchday 5.

Marseille have lost only one of their last nine matches against Dutch teams (W5 D3), winning five of the last seven at home (D1 L1).

Ajax have lost only two of their last ten Champions League group stage/league phase matches against French teams (W5 D3).

Marseille

This is Marseille's 12th Champions League campaign, but only a third in the last 12 seasons. They have not progressed to the knockout rounds since reaching the quarter-finals in 2011/12.

OM were not involved in UEFA competition in 2024/25 having reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2023/24.

Ajax

This is Ajax's 19th appearance in the Champions League proper – a Dutch record they share with PSV Eindhoven – and a first since 2022/23.

The Amsterdammers were 12th in the league phase of the 2024/25 Europa League, eventually losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16 (1-2 h, 1-4 a).

Key stats

A 2-1 loss at Real Madrid on Matchday 1 made it 19 defeats in Marseille's last 22 matches in the Champions League proper (W3).

OM are unbeaten in eight home European games (W6 D2).

Marseille's last draw in the Champions League proper was 0-0 against Arsenal in November 2011 – 25 matches ago. Their record since is W5 L20.

The 0-2 home loss to Inter on Matchday 1 made it four successive European defeats for Ajax.

The Dutch club have, however, lost only three of their last 19 away matches in the Champions League proper (W11 D5).

Ajax have scored in 21 of their last 22 away matches in the competition proper.